The chief executive of American Eagle Outfitters resisted pressure on social media to pull its provocative ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney — telling his charges to remain calm in the face of accusations that the brand was promoting racist and sexist tropes, according to a report.

In the weeks that followed, the campaign proved to be a hit — bringing in almost a million new customers to American Eagle between July and September, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The company’s stock surged and sales of its clothing rose. 4

“You can’t run from fear,” the teen retailer’s CEO Jay Schottenstein told the Wall Street Journal. “We stand behind what we did.”

Sweeney, the actress who has starred in hit TV series such as “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” was showcased in Americ

See Full Page